In recent years, a major trend towards products based on renewable raw materials has been pursued in the cosmetics market. In order to be able to satisfy this, it is necessary to be able to offer high-performance emulsifiers based on renewable raw materials. Customary emulsifiers in cosmetics often comprise as hydrophilic groups polyethylene glycol groups (PEG), which can be produced by polymerization of ethylene oxide obtained by petrochemical means. Since all of the raw materials used in formulations that are as natural as possible should originate from renewable sources, PEG-containing emulsifiers are not desired in such formulations. Polyglycerol esters are a preferred PEG-free alternative for cosmetic emulsifiers based on renewable raw materials.
The use of polyglycerol esters in cosmetics as emulsifier is well-known technology. For example, JP 2003104852 describes the use of a polyglycerol behenate stearate that is solid at room temperature in hair care products.
JP 2010178723 describes the use of polyglycerol partial esters of behenic acid in combination with other, shorter-chain fatty acids as dough improvers in bakery goods.
JP 2006055029 describes the use of triglycerol monobehenate monostearate in crop protection applications.
EP2363387 describes the preparation of polyglycerol carboxylic acid partial esters and the use thereof as emulsifiers in cosmetics.
Using the polyglycerol esters described in the prior art it is not possible to produce stable emulsions with a good skin feel despite low viscosity, particularly in conjunction with high microbiological stability.
It was an object of the invention to provide an emulsifier which was able to overcome at least one disadvantage of the prior art.